Double Danny
by Cyrokin
Summary: Danny and his friends are spending their day at the amusement park, but an encounter with three ghosts while there baffles them. Something really strange is happening, but can Danny get to the bottom of it? And what will happen when he faces himself?
1. Another Promise Broken

**(A/N): So... here goes. Let's hope I can finish the story XD Oh, and... hope my beginning is good enough. I have the plot written down, but actually starting to write is what gets me XD I apologize if the action is moving too quickly at the beginning, I promise it'll get better... in later chapters.**

**Double Danny Chapter 1: Another Promise Broken**

It was a relatively warm autumn day. A breeze was blowing to make the weather just a little cool, but comfortable nonetheless.

Danny Fenton, Sam Manson and Tucker Foley were visiting the new amusement park in town, and having a really good time. They rode the rides, played the games, ate the food, won the prizes and so on.

Now the three friends were almost ready to go back to their homes, but had agreed to ride the Tornado just one more time. When they arrived at the ride, there wasn't really any line to speak of, so the teens wouldn't have to wait long.

"Wow! Talk about good luck," exclaimed Tucker, seeing the line's shortness. "We'll get through here in no time." A second later, the boy was rushing ahead of his friends to get in line.

"Hey!" Danny said, "Wait for us, Tuck!" The other boy ran after Tucker, Sam close behind him.

"You _promise_ this is the last thing we're doing here before leaving?" asked the Goth girl.

"Promise, Sam," Tucker said, meaning his words.

It was almost the teens' time to get on the Tornado when a blue, mist-like substance escaped Danny's mouth. "Another promise broken, guys. We've got trouble," he said grimly, seeing three ghosts. The ghosts had to be up to something, Danny just knew it! "Don't bother saving my place, this could take a while."

Sam sighed as her friend ran off to go ghost someplace. She and Tucker stood in line, silent. Finally, Tucker spoke.

"So, think we could ride the Tornado without him?" the boy motioned his thumb back toward the ride.

Sam shook her head. "No, let's just see how the battle goes. It just wouldn't be right for us to get on without him, this was his idea, after all."

The techno-geek looked thoughtful. "You may be right. I'm gonna go buy a corn dog." He walked off in the direction of a snack stand.

Sam glanced in the direction Danny had gone. She saw the halfa, now in ghost form, battling three individuals. It looked like an ordinary fight for him, throwing witty banters and ectoplasmic rays back and forth. But there was something...wrong...

Sam stepped out of the line to move in for a closer look. "Tucker, look at this!" she yelled, not removing her eyes from the battle.

The boy sensed the slight urgency in his friend's voice. He took his corn dog and jogged to where the girl was standing. His eyes, too, widened in shock.

"What the...?"

.oO0DP0Oo.

Danny went ghost and flew to where the three ghosts were. They were trying to harm an innocent little kid with a balloon.

One ghost was tall, black haired, green-skinned, crimson-eyed and wore a black leather jacket and white t-shirt. Another, a female, had her white-and-purple streaked hair tied in a loose ponytail and wore a black midriff and pants. The third ghost, another male, was gray-skinned and gaunt, with messy jet-black hair nearly covering his yellow-green eyes. He wore bright green pants and a black hoodie with a green X on the front of it. They all apeared to be in their teen years.

"Hey, big guy!" Danny shouted, firing a ghost-ray at the tall one. "Whatever happened to 'pick on someone your _own_ size'?"

The beam hit the big ghost on the back, causing him to stumble and nearly fall, regaining his balance just in time.

"Who're you, punk?" he growled. "Back off before you get hurt!" The tall ghost held up a fist, as if to threaten Danny.

"Ha! You're obviously a new guy, not to know who you're talking to," Danny said, laughing slightly.

"Tryin' to be cocky, huh? Lemme knock some sense into that white-haired head of yours!" The ghost hurled himself into the air at Danny, fist out. The half-ghost manuvered skillfully to the left, efficiently dodging the blow. Just as quickly, Danny fired an ectoblast at him, knocking him to the ground.

"_What_ were you saying about getting hurt?" Danny asked, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms.

The little boy had been watching the two ghosts fight, and he took this as an opportunity to evacuate the area, and had started to run as fast as he could, but the girl ghost held out her foot and tripped him. She then lifted him by his left arm, and he began to scream.

"Someone's gonna pay for that! Spike is _never_ beaten! I, Rayne, will make sure of that!" Rayne threw the screaming kid at the ghost in the hoodie.

Danny rushed for the flying boy and caught him in the nick of time. The black-haired ghost growled in anger, flashing fanged teeth. The halfa flew the boy to safety and put him down.

"Go find your parents, now," Danny said urgently before turning to look back at the three ghosts. Rayne was forming some kind of glowing blue energy ball above her head, a scowl on her face.

"X needed that for energy, you know!" the girl hissed.

"_That_! You're calling a little kid a _that_?" Danny shouted, clearly ticked off. "Do you have _no_ respect for humanity?"

Rayne threw her attack at Danny, who avoided it just before it hit the ground with a splat. "To answer your question, yes! We have no respect for your kind!" the girl ghost launched another blue energy-ball, which Danny also managed to avoid.

The ghost-boy flew toward Rayne, and with a simple blast, she was down. "Now, for your other friend... wait... where'd he go?" Danny looked around for the ghost Rayne had called "X". The lime-eyed boy was nowhere to be found. The halfa sighed. "Oh, well. I'll just get these two in the thermos."

Danny aimed his thermos at the ghost called Spike. When he turned it on, however, _the ghost did not go in!_

"What in the world?" Danny turned the thermos back off. He looked at his friends, who he realized had been watching the whole battle. They were staring at the two individuals on the ground with wide eyes. Sam appeared to be in a state of shock and confusion. Tucker had the same freaked-out expression, and dropped the corndog which was in his hand.

Confused, Danny looked back at the two on the ground. He gasped, seeing not two _ghosts_... but two _humans!_ They looked similar to the two he had just fought, but with more human coloring. Spike's skin was a natural color, and Rayne's hair was now brown and streaked with blonde.

Danny held his breath and backed away, his eyes moving to the unconscious teens to his bewildered friends. Not sure what he was thinking at the time, the ghost-boy flew away, spectral tail streaming behind him. He flew straight home, still lost in his thoughts.

**Er... hope you enjoyed ^^; I hope I didn't make Danny too out of character (I hate OOC stuff).**

**First fanfic published... Yay! :D So glad to finally finish this chapter... More wierd stuff in chapter 2. IF I can finish writing this thing... XD**

**Review, share your thoughts, ANYTHING to help me write a little further without losing interest! :D**


	2. Lost in Yesterday

**OK, so I've finished chapter one, and now we're ready for... CHAPTER 2! :D I hope you liked the first chapter (Weird enough for ya?) It'll only get wierder... and more mysterious. Think I should add a disclaimer? If I owned it, why would I be writing on this site ANYWAY? XD And be worried about OOC-ness?**

**Sorry about taking so long! I'm slow XD**

**This chapter is longer :D**

**Double Danny Chapter 2: Lost in Yesterday**

Danny had changed back into his human form a few minutes earlier and come home. Now he lay flopped out on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He was truly puzzled. Why had the ghosts suddenly become humans? Who was X? What did he need energy from a child for? _How_ would he take the energy? What would have become of the little boy if he hadn't been rescued?

As Danny lay pondering these questions, he heard the doorknob to his room turn. For a second, Danny feared it was one of his parents, but eliminated that possibility when he heard the voice of his sister.

"Danny, is everything all right?"

The teenaged boy glanced up at Jazz. "Um... not really..." he said hesitantly.

Jazz shut the door and sat down next to him. "Wanna talk about it?"

Danny sat up and sighed. "That's actually just what I was hoping to do," he said, smiling lightly. "You see, at the amusement park today, we had a bit of a... ghost problem."

Jazz quirked an eyebrow. "Isn't that normal for you?" she asked, "There are _always_ ghost problems."

"Yeah, I know that, but this was... _different_," Danny said, leaning downward and resting his forehead in his palm. "_Way_ different."

"Can you clarify what you mean by 'different'?"

"Well, there were these three ghosts, I didn't recognize any of them," Danny began, intending to explain the whole story to his sister in summary. "Two of them were trying to give this little kid to the other ghost, they called him 'X'."

"I managed to rescue the kid and beat two of the ghosts, but X dissapeared. Then, when I tried to suck them in the thermos, they'd become _humans_. I flew away, so now I'm here, talking to you about it."

Jazz sat in silence for a few seconds, contemplating a possible explanation to give her little brother. Finally, she answered, "Is it possible they could be half-ghosts, like you?"

Danny straightened his posture and shook his head. "Even _half-ghosts_ can get sucked into a thermos while in ghost form. I'm absolutely positive they were ghosts when I tried to put them in!" The boy furrowed his brow in frustration and confusion.

"Hey, didn't you go there with Sam and Tucker?" Jazz asked. She knew Danny hadn't gone alone.

Danny slapped his face. "Oh, that's right! I was so confused that I left them by themselves!" The half-ghost fell back over onto his bed.

"You should go apologize to them, tell them you didn't know what you were thinking."

"Great idea, Jazz," Danny said, sitting up again. "Although I was actually thinking the same thing..."

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

_**The next day...**_

Danny picked up the phone and dialed Sam's number. Two rings later, the Goth girl's voice answered.

"Hey, Sam. I just wanted to say sorry for leaving you and Tucker behind yesterday. I was so confused, and I don't know why I left without you guys..."

"_It's OK, Danny,_" came Sam's voice, "_We're just as confused as you are._"

Danny sighed. "We're all in this mystery together, then?"

"_Yeah. Pretty much._"

"So... could you grab Tucker and meet me here?"

"_Um... sure, why?_"

"I'll tell you when you guys get here. See you then."

"_OK, bye Danny._"

"Bye." Danny hung up the phone and smiled.

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

"...So I wanted to take you guys back to the amusement park again today. You know, make up for lost time yesterday." Danny flashed his biggest grin.

"Sounds good to me. Whaddaya say, Sam?" Tucker said cheerfully.

"Sure," Sam said, shrugging.

"Great! Let's go."

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

Danny flew his friends to the amusement park. Nothing was said during that brief flight, there was nothing to say.

The three landed in a hidden area outside the place, where Danny transformed back into his human side. They walked out from behind the bush and to the gates of the amusement park. The raven-haired boy paid for everything at the front, then the three friends went inside.

"I'm still sorry I-" Danny started, but was interrupted by Tucker

"Dude, we said we forgave you, the techno-geek said, glancing back at his half-ghost friend.

"Oh, yeah. Right." Danny scratched the back of his head nervously. "I've been just a little forgetful today, don't mind me if I forget something."

"You seemed fine on the phone this morning," Sam said, a little confused.

"Yeah, but that was when I _wasn't_ forgetful." Danny laughed a little, sounding somewhat nervous.

"Is everything OK, Danny?"

The halfa blinked at Sam's last question. The truth was, he was still thinking about the ghost, X. Where had he gone? Would he be back? What became of those other ghosts?

"Yeah, I'm fine," Danny replied. "I'm just still...lost in yesterday, you could say."

Sam smiled slightly and put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "It'll be all right. I don't know what happened to those ghosts, either, and neither does Tucker. Just because you're Danny Phantom doesn't mean you have to bear the burden of this mystery alone."

"Yeah," Tucker added cheerfully. "That's what friends are for."

Danny smiled. he had such great friends...

The boy in the red beret suggested they ride the Tornado to make up for the day before. Danny and Sam agreed. Today, there was no line _at all_, so therefore _no waiting_. The three teens rode that ride untill they were all so dizzy they couldn't go another round.

"Now _that_ was fun!" Danny exclaimed.

"Tell us about it," Sam said, smiling. The two teens looked over at their friend Tucker, who was still awkwardly stumbling along behing them.

"He looks dizzy," Danny chuckled.

"That's because I _am_ dizzy," the boy said, catching up with his friends. "We rode that Tornado one too many times. I'm ready to throw up my breakfast, now."

"Oh, please don't, Tucker," Danny said, "You'll end up making _us_ sick!"

And then, at that moment, the worst happened. Tucker didn't throw up, neither did his friends. A freak thunderstorm didn't show up to ruin their day. It was something far, far worse...

Danny's ghost sense.

"Crud," the halfa muttered under his breath.

Danny looked in the direction the mist had gone. He gasped when he saw the ghost who was there. "No way! It's X!"

"Who?" Sam and Tucker asked in unison.

"X. The ghost I didn't beat yesterday. He's come back!" The halfa gritted his teeth and ran off to transform.

"What? I didn't see a third ghost yesterday. Did you, Tucker?" Sam cast a glance at her friend, who had just recovered from riding the Tornado.

"No."

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

The gaunt teen ghost named X was tightly gripping a man around the chest, holding his back against the ghost's own chest. Both man and ghost were glowing with a sickly yellow, and the man was appearing to lose energy. X, however, appeared to gain energy.

A wave of urgency crashed down on Danny. "X! Drop him!"

X turned to look at the halfa. A huge, toothy, fanged grin spread across his face. Evil glittered in his wide, piercing emerald eyes. He dropped the now unconscious man to the ground and stared straight at Danny, licking his teeth, much like a wolf would before attacking its prey.

The white-haired teen backed away a few steps. X looked truly _insane_. The almost skeleton-like ghost moved in closer, a growl eminating from his throat. The wicked grin widened.

Danny had been struck into silence. There was something _off _about that ghost. His simple stare had taken all the confidence out of the half-ghost. He continued to back away as X advanced on him. Danny couldn't get his usual nerve to fight. Fear replaced the once ample fearlessness inside him.

For a moment it was like Danny was in a trance. Then, in a flash, X lunged at him, arms out. His hands looked much like a reptile's, with longish black fingernails that could be mistaken for claws. The half-ghost stumbled backwards, but X caught him and put him in the same position as the man had been.

X gripped Danny tighter and tighter. He suddenly felt a cold tingling sensation start from his core and slowly move outwards, spreading to his arms, legs, toes and fingers. He felt the energy seep out of him, as if X was tearing his every ounce of strength right out. His world was becoming a blur...

Danny saw Sam and Tucker rushing towards him. The cold tingling stopped and X seemed to release him instantaneously.

Danny changed back and collapsed to the ground, as X's tight hold had been the only thing keeping him on his feet. He had barely enough strength to even bring himself up to his knees.

He felt the comforting touch of his friends' arms helping him stay in his sitting position. "You OK, man?" Tucker asked, worried.

Danny gasped for breath. "No," he rasped, slowly regaining his strength. "I was so scared! I don't know what happened to me before he grabbed me..."

"Before _who_ grabbed you?" asked Sam, sounding very concerned.

Danny sighed, exasperated. "X! Couldn't you see him? He was stealing my energy!"

"Danny," Tucker said, hesitating a moment. "There _was_ no ghost."

**You've waited long enough... so now I've finally completed this chapter... woot!**

**I've discovered it's easier for me to write slowly. I'm starting to get a better picture on how X is related to the rest of this plot. Anyone creeped out by him? Is Danny out of character...?**

**I think so... but, you know... XD**

**Why doesn't X speak? WHY IS HE LICKING HIS TEETH? O.o**


	3. Nightmare Come True

**Chapter three, now! :D Did X scare anyone in the last chapter? I was starting to freak myself out! That's bad... XD**

**Again... disclaimer. Though everyone knows I don't own DP...**

**Hope it's not too OOC XD**

**Double Danny Chapter 3: Nightmare Come True**

Danny paced back and forth in his room. His strength had completely returned, and now his mind was at work.

"What is _with_ this X?" he asked himself out loud, watching his feet move along the floor as he paced. "Obviously he gains strength from taking another being's energy, including other ghosts. But how does he even _take_ it?" Danny sighed, exasperated, and stopped walking. he sat down on his bed and glanced at his clock.

_11:36_.

It would be midnight soon. All the boy really wanted to do was forget the whole mess or solve it overnight, but neither option was possible. He'd have to figure it out slowly.

"Why couldn't Tucker and Sam see him? Is he invisible to humans?" Danny wondered aloud. "Can only _ghosts_ see him?" The halfa made a frustrated grunt. Even if he _could_ solve the mystery of X, he still wouldn't know what had happened to Rayne and Spike.

It was then Jazz entered the room.

"How do you always know when I need someone to talk to?" Danny asked, smiling a little. "I mean, I know you're already a know-it-all..."

Jazz was still standing in the doorway. "What is it you need to talk about, little bro? Why are you still up, anyway?"

Danny stood and slammed the base of his fist into his palm. "I want answers. No, I _need_ answers." He started to pace yet again. "I just can't get X out of my mind."

"Are you still worried?"

"_Am I worried?_" Danny snapped, pausing. "Of _course_ I'm worried! Why would I _not_ be?" He whipped around and began pacing faster, but stopped again and sighed. "Sorry, Jazz... I'm just frustrated. The recent events with ghosts have been driving me _crazy_! I _need_ answers!"

"I can tell you something _else_ you need," Jazz began, walking toward her brother and placing her hand on his shoulder. "Sleep."

"What makes you think I need that?" yawned Danny, eyelids drooping slightly.

"That, for one. If you're ever going to get the answers you want-"

"_Need_," Danny interrupted, sitting down on his bed and placing his face in his palm.

"Answers you _need_, then you should get some rest, recharge your mind so you can think more easily."

"For once, you could be right," Danny agreed, shutting his eyes. "And I'm too tired to really argue right now."

Jazz smiled and left her brother alone in his room again. Danny changed into his pajamas and went to bed shortly after, finally feeling just a little better.

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

_Danny Phantom glanced around, a bit nervously. "Hello?" he called out. A black shadow slithered past him. Danny turned to look, but it was gone again._

_The half ghost had his senses on edge, slowly turning around and surveying his surroundings. A light almost like a spotlight was shining on him, and he was surrounded by shadows._

_More shadows swirled past him, seemingly taunting him to try to see them. Danny was almost sure he heard a tiny, evil laugh from one of the corners. Yellowish green eyes glowed from the darkness..._

_Suddenly, a bright light exploded all around Danny, blinding the halfa. He yelled and shielded his eyes with both arms. The evil laughter grew louder. Now, it almost sounded like a rough, screeching version of Danny's own laugh..._

_Danny slowly unblocked his face and squinted at the five dark figures in front of him. They all had emerald-green eyes, black-and-white hazmat suits, and snowy white hair. They were all almost completely _identical_ to the half-ghost._

_Danny gasped, completely unblocking his face, and his eyes opened wide. The gang of dopplegangers laughed maliciously in unison and raised their hands, charging ectoplasmic rays. Danny started to back up, but froze when two hands grabbed him from behind. The halfa turned his head slowly and saw yet another copy of himself. It narrowed its eyes and smiled, revealing fanged teeth._

_Suddenly, he was pushed down abruptly by the doppleganger behind him. At once, he and the other five fired their rays at Danny. The half-ghost yelled. He felt a cold shock take the energy right out of him..._

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

Danny awoke, gasping. His covers had been scrambled up and thrown off the bed in his sleep. He breathed deeply, inhaling and exhaling, untill the shock had finally worn off. He could almost _swear_ he could still feel the pain...

Fatigue replaced the temporary shock from waking up from his nightmare. Danny yawned and glanced at his clock.

"Eight o' clock!" he exclaimed. Danny hurridly (yet tiredly) scrambled to get dressed and ready to leave before he was any later.

The teen had just finished tying his shoelaces and turned around to face his door when something blocked his view. Danny blinked before his tired eyes finally took in what was before him.

The ghost-boy yelped and jumped back, falling backfirst into his sidetable. Stuff fell on top of Danny as he crashed. He looked up and blinked twice.

Looming above him was a ghost. Not just any ghost, but _himself_. A creepy, fanged version of himself.

"Who are you?" Danny asked, unable to hide the shakyness in his voice.

"_**I**_," whispered the doppleganger, "_**Am your nightmare come true**_."

**WHAT'S THIS? A CLIFFHANGER?**

***strokes the cliffhanger* It's OK, Cliffie. I don't hate you... unless, of course, you're in some other writer's story. Then I might. XD**

**Sorry for the late update for such a short chapter! D:**

**Please review!**


	4. Danny Specter

**Yes! The awaited continuation of the cliffhanger! No more waiting, it's FINALLY here. XD I know, I take too long... What are you reading this for, go see what happens next!**

**Double Danny Chapter 4: Danny Specter**

"_**I am your nightmare come true**_**.**"

Danny knew he had to fight. He had to, no matter how afraid he was right now.

"Going ghost!" the halfa shouted. He let the coldness of his ghost core take over, feeling the whitish-blue rings move across his body and transform him into Danny Phantom. The ghost charged his ghost ray and fired it at the doppleganger's face. The other ghost flew up and hit the ceiling before falling back down on the floor.

"I may not have been able to fight you in my dream," Danny said, lifting himself from the floor, "but I can certainly fight you now!"

The half-ghost had had a resurge of confidence in the brief moment he had fired at his copy. He began floating in a battle-ready pose as the doppleganger also stood up.

The other Danny smiled deviously and fired at the true Danny. Danny dodged the ray and flew out his bedroom door intangibly, the other ghost not far behind.

The halfa was surprised when he saw his parents weren't home. They were probably off hunting some ghost, knowing them.

Danny continued flying and fired his ghost ray back at his evil doppleganger. The copy dodged his blow and hissed. Danny, getting desperate, threw two more beams, both of which the lookalike skillfully evaded.

Seeing his attempts weren't working, Danny turned his head back forward, clenching his teeth in frustration. He flew into the kitchen, still trying to avoid "Danny Specter", but froze as the doppleganger ghost appeared in front of him.

Evil glinted in the ghost's apple-green eyes. Those eyes... they looked almost _familiar..._

"_**Boo**_," hissed Specter, sensing the fright beginning to grow inside Danny. Danny himself turned around and flew back in the other direction. Specter chuckled to himself and took off after the ghost-boy, firing his own ectoplasmic rays at Danny.

The halfa dodged as many blows as he could. One eventually grazed his shoulder, and he flew closer to the ground. Danny darted around the corner and became invisible. He held his breath as Specter flew by him, heart pounding.

After a few seconds, Danny released his breath and let himself become visible. Relaxing a little, the half-ghost leaned against a wall and wiped his forehead.

Suddenly, Specter darted back around the corner, and, with a sick smile on his face, fired a ghost-ray at Danny. This, of course, caught the boy off guard. He quickly ducked out of the way, but soon erected a ghost-shield to deflect the volley of energy beams flying his way.

Danny caught sight of the telephone. _I should call Mom and Dad,_ he thought. His shield was beginning to weaken, and the psycho double wasn't showing any signs of cease-fire. Danny slowly began edging his way to the phone, holding up his ghost shield with one arm and using the other to move alongside the wall.

He soon realized it probably wasn't the _best_ idea to call his parents. If they saw Danny's evil doppleganger attacking their son, they would pin the blame on the _real_ Danny Phantom. Instead, the half-ghost decided to call his sister, Jazz. Before he could reach the phone, however, he found it encased in ice. Specter laughed and blasted the phone, breaking it into smitherines.

Danny took this chance to let down his ghost shield and dive through the floor. After landing on the lab floor, he frantically dug in his back pockets for the thermos. Specter phased through the roof. He remained floating high in the air, smiling deviously. He had his arms crossed and satisfaction evident in his eyes.

"_**Coward. Give up yet?**_" the doppleganger sneered.

Danny grinned, feeling the metalic, cylindrical shape of the Fenton thermos. "No," he said, pulling out the ghost-capturing device. The smile vanished from Specter's face and his eyes opened wide. "How about you?"

Specter yelped as he was sucked into the thermos. Danny swiftly sealed it shut and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What time is it?" he asked out loud. He glanced at one of the clocks in the lab. "Eight-fifteen!"

Danny flew up through the house and out the ceiling. "I am _so_ late for school!"

The ghost soared away, his spectral tail snaking behind him. _This day has really gotten off to a bad start,_ he thought.

**PLEASE don't kill me for being so late on this!**

**At least I didn't leave you on an intense cliffhanger this time! Please review :D**

**Oh, and chapter five won't be up for a while... I haven't finished plotting that chapter yet... :\**


	5. Freaking Out

**So... again, sorry for the LOOOOOOOOOOOONG wait :) I kind of got very few reviews on the last chapter, but that's OK X3 BUT I STILL LIKE REVIEWS 8D**

**Anyways, what did the first two chapters have to do with the others? What does X have to even DO with this plot? All questions will be answered... just not in this chapter. Try to enjoy it, anyway :D**

**Double Danny Chapter 5: Freaking Out**

Danny arrived in Mr. Lancer's class, sweaty and panting from his battle with Specter. He had changed back into his human form outside Casper High's doors and proceeded to run through the halls until he had arrived at where he was.

Lancer glanced up at Danny. "Mr. Fenton, please take your seat," he said. Danny could tell the teacher wasn't having a good day either. The boy sighed and flopped down into his seat. He looked at Sam, who was looking back at him. Her expression was one of understanding, yet portrayed the slightest hint of curiosity.

About a minute later, Sam was passing a note to her friend. Danny carefully opened the piece of paper and read it.

_Judging from your appearance, I'm guessing you were fighting a ghost._

Danny glanced back up at Lancer to make sure he wasn't watching. Then, the teen wrote back:

**Yeah, and the attack was aimed specifically at me. I'll tell you and Tucker at lunch.**

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

Danny and his friends grabbed their lunch trays and made their way to their usual table in the cafeteria. Once around the table, Danny began to tell his story.

"So, I woke up late this morning," he began, "I hurried to get ready, then this ghost appeared out of nowhere! I kind of...fell over backwards." Danny rubbed a sore spot on his back from where he had impacted the sidetable. "This ghost looked just like me! Well, aside from the fangs and yellowish eyes, that is."

"Could it be another attempt by Vlad to clone you?" Sam reasoned. "I mean, he's done it before."

"That's another part of the story," Danny said gravely. "I had a dream that multiple versions of this..._clone_ were attacking me. That hadn't happened before with Vlad's clones, and as far as I know, Vlad has _no clue_ that ghosts can get in other people's dreams."

"Good point," Tucker mused, taking a bite from his roast beef sandwich.

"It's still a possibility we should consider, though," Sam said. "Continue, Danny."

"Before I started to fight the ghost, he said something about being my 'nightmare come true'. What would _that_ mean?" Danny said, picking up a fry.

Sam swallowed a bite of her salad. "Well, you just explained it," she said. "The ghost was in your dream, so he knew what you were dreaming about. He may have used that as an advantage."

"I guess," Danny muttered, staring down at his food. "We fought hard. In the end I was able to trick him and suck him in the thermos." He patted the thermos he had with him. "By then I was gonna be so late for school that I flew as fast as I could to get here. Hence how terrible I looked when I came in the classroom."

Tucker finished another bite of his sandwich. "And man, did you look bad!" he exclaimed. "Your hair was messed up, you were sweaty, you smelled like a-"

"OK...Tucker, I don't...need to hear that," Danny interrupted his friend. Tucker snickered.

It was that moment Danny shivered and his ghost sense went off. "Oh no," he muttered to himself, facepalming.

Tucker raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Danny?" he asked.

"My ghost sense just went off..." Danny turned around to see what mayhem was going to ensue as soon as the ghost made itself known. The ghost materialized at the end of the cafeteria, a sick smirk on its face...Danny nearly jumped out of his seat when he saw...

"Specter!" He hissed, eyes snapping wide open.

"Who now?" Sam inquired.

"The ghost I fought this morning, the one that looks like me! Over there!" Danny frantically motioned in the direction that Specter was standing. The doppleganger cackled.

Sam looked over in that direction. "I don't see _anyone,_" she said, squinting.

"Tucker?" Danny asked, glancing hopefully at his other best friend.

Tucker shook his head. "Sorry, man. I don't see anything," he said.

Danny's heart sank. "You mean...you guys don't believe me?" he asked.

"It's not that," Sam said, "It's just kind of hard to believe when you're the only one seeing this ghost."

"It's happened before," Danny pointed out. The half-ghost turned to look at Specter, who continued laughing, unseen and unheard by all the students. "How'd he get out of the thermos?" Danny mumbled to himself. Specter suddenly appeared right next to Danny and snickered.

_**"Surprised?"**_ he sneered. Danny couldn't answer. He only gritted his teeth in unnatural fear. The evil doppleganger hungrily eyed Danny's nearly untouched lunch and licked his pointed fangs. Like a starving animal, Specter monstrously dug into the food. Danny looked up at his friends, freaking out. But Sam and Tucker were only staring at him, disgusted.

"Danny," Sam began, "I know you missed breakfast and all, but...why are you eating like that?"

"I'm not!" Danny exclaimed, frantic. What was going on? He wasn't the one bolting down his lunch like a maniac, it was his double!

"You aren't _now,"_ Sam scoffed. Danny glanced up at Specter, who was now licking his fingers in satisfaction.

"_**Thanks for lunch,**_" he snickered, elbowing Danny in the shoulder, causing the teen to shiver. The halfa narrowed his eyes and stood up, frustrated. He half-jogged out of the cafeteria, glancing back over his shoulder to see a grinning Specter still standing there. Entering the hallway, the teen picked up his pace. Fear began to captivate his heart.

_Those malicious green eyes...those fangs...the fact that nobody else could see him..._

Danny rushed into the boys' bathroom and bent over to catch his breath. "Am I going..._crazy?_" He hated using the word crazy, but it was the way he felt at that moment. He hadn't expected an answer, but he got one anyway.

_**"Perhaps,"**_ Specter purred, phasing into the bathroom. Startled, Danny whipped around to see the doppleganging ghost grinning at him.

At Danny's panicky reaction, Specter's grin grew into one very similar to the Cheshire cat's. The ghost cackled and laughed loudly. Danny shook off his fear and flashed his eyes green. "You want a fight?" he growled, "Well, you've got one." The rings formed around his waist and split, turning him into the famed Danny Phantom.

Specter stopped laughing, but a toothy grin remained on his face. A second later he had disappeared, and then reappeared behind Danny. With his foot, he tripped the real ghost-boy, who fell down with an "uff". Specter grinned happily. _**"I win!"**_ he screeched. _**"You lose!"**_ He chuckled and took off into the air.

Danny stood up just in time to see Specter phasing through the ceiling. "Hey! Get back here!" The halfa took off and phased through the roof after Specter. He wound up in the school's laboratory. Danny looked around for his lookalike, but the ghost was nowhere to be found. All he was able to hear for about fifteen seconds was his heavy breathing and the beating of his own heart.

_**"Looking for something?"**_ a mocking voice whispered in his ear.

Danny yelped and whipped around, only to have Specter unexpectedly tackle him. Caught off guard by the attack, the halfa and the doppleganger struggled on the floor. Specter laughed and wrapped his hands around Danny's neck. Suddenly acting on an impulse, Danny tucked himself into a ball, then bucked out with both legs, sending Specter flying backwards. The doppleganger slammed into the wall. He slumped to the floor, a dazed look on his face.

Because of the impact to the wall, the objects on the shelves above the ghost began to shake. One after the other, beakers began falling on Specter's head and shattering on the floor, knocking the double out.

Getting up on his own two feet, Danny observed Specter's knocked-out state. But in order to make sure the ghost was out cold, the halfa blasted the supports for the shelves with tiny ectobeams. The shelves then collapsed and fell right on top of Specter's head, causing him to fall over.

"Now then," Danny said, clearly out of breath, "You won't be getting out." He pulled out a thermos and hit the button. The troublesome ghost once again disappeared inside the containment device. Danny sealed it and breathed a sigh of relief. "Now maybe I can relax..."

He put the thermos away just as the back-to-class bell rang. "Perfect timing," Danny mumbled unenthusiastically, transforming back into his human form. He was looking forward to a little free time before he had to go back to class, but that wasn't going to happen. Of course, what did he expect? Danny Phantom _never_ seemed to get a break.

The boy sighed and phased out the lab door and began the trip to Lancer's classroom for history class. All he could do was hope the rest of his day would run smoothly, and that crazy Specter wouldn't wake up and find a way to escape the thermos again.

**.oO0DP0Oo.**

**I don't know if that was really satisfactory or not... ^^; I'm crazy like that XD**

**Anywho, PLEEEAASSEE review this chapter, as angry as you might be with me for losing temporary interest! x.x**

**BTW, the first four chapters of this story were only the beginning. Things are about to get WAY weirder from here... :D Ask questions, comment, and hey, I wouldn't even mind an insightful review! XD I like those.**


	6. Finish the Job

**Another long wait. Wow. XD Well, I've been working on ****Frontlines****, with this humble little project gnawing at the back of my unconscious mind. I just happened to be looking through my stories on FanFiction and I was like,"Hey, why not!" and just started typing this chapter.**

**Reeeead it! Reeeead it! XD**

**Double Danny Chapter 6: Finish the Job**

The end of the day had come at last. Danny slammed his locker closed and breathed a sigh of relief. Well, a sigh filled with as much relief as the teenaged halfa could muster. The other half was in pain. He had been developing a massive headache since his latest battle with Specter, and guessed it was from being tripped in the bathroom. All the same, Danny hoped he wasn't getting sick.

"Danny, are you feeling OK?" asked Tucker, approaching Danny.

"I've got a bit of a headache, but I'm fine otherwise," Danny told his friend. "I've had it since my fight with Specter... not that _you_ would know otherwise. He's invisible to you."

Tucker pulled his backpack onto his shoulders and tried to change the subject. He gave a cheerful smile. "Wanna do anything after we leave?"

Danny shrugged. "Maybe," he said. "But I think I should go home and get some rest first. My head is _killing_ me!" The teen rubbed his head to help soothe it. He came to a bit of a shock when he felt a physical bump on the back of his head. He winced and pulled it back. There was a faint stain of darkish crimson spotted on one of his fingers now. "OK... definitely _not_ just a headache," he said.

"As you said, you got it in a fight," Tucker reminded Danny. "There's nothing stopping you from going home and resting for a while. Sam and I will be fine."

_It's not you guys I'm worried about right now,_ thought Danny, tenderly touching the bump on his head. He had gotten bumps like this before, but they'd never been this intense. They had never _bled._ He was seriously worried. Sam and Tucker weren't the ones in danger right now. Plus, Specter might turn up at any time to taunt him again. Danny didn't want his friends to see him doing... whatever he was doing earlier... again. "Thanks, Tuck," the boy said with a grateful smile.

The two friends exchanged goodbyes, then Danny headed home. Once out of the sight of others, he turned into the famed teenaged ghost hero, Danny Phantom. The pain in his head was greatly lessened in this form, he noticed. _Just one more great thing about having ghost powers_, he thought with a small smile. The ghost-boy took off towards his house.

When Danny arrived home, he flew straight in through his window and gently laid down on his bed without changing back. He had decided to rest for a few minutes before actually walking in the front door to greet his parents. Of course, they were probably down in the lab anyway; they may not even notice Danny's entrance. But then, Danny remembered his fight with Specter that morning. His parents were _bound_ to wonder why the telephone was broken and frozen, or why there were so many scorch marks on the walls.

The teen got up from his bed and flew out his window, then gently floated to the ground below. He transformed back into his human form. Danny winced, immediately gripped with the throbbing pain of his head. _Stupid double,_ he thought, rubbing the back of his head. The 14-year-old entered his house to find his parents watching the TV. "Hey, guys," Danny called to them.

"Hello, Danny," Maddie returned with a smile. "How was school?"

"Same as usual. No ghosts or... anything," Danny lied.

"Well, if there ever _is_ any ghost trouble, just call us, OK?"

_No thanks, Mom,_ Danny thought to himself, hurrying back to his room. He stopped in his tracks, however, when he saw the spots where he had fought Specter. The walls were perfectly clean and undisturbed; not even a nick or a remnant of a scorch marked them. Those could have been cleaned and repaired, though. The part that had caused Danny to stop, however, was the presence of the telephone. It wasn't broken or frozen at all, and had no signs of ever being moved. Danny would have thought that his parents had replaced the phone... if it weren't the _same phone._ Weirded out, the teen hurried up to his bedroom at a faster pace.

Danny's head throbbed as he headed up the stairs, the pain starting to blur his vision. He paused and shut his eyes, feeling as if he was about to fall down. That helped a little, but not much. Danny gingerly placed his hand on the back of his head, wincing when he felt a sting. "Wonderful," he muttered sarcastically to himself.

The door to his room had never been a more welcome sight. Danny sighed and turned the doorknob. Suddenly, the door flew open, pulling the teenager inside with a jolt. He yelled as he fell to the ground face-first. A snickering sound came from above Danny. The boy groaned in exasperation as he sat up. "What is your problem, Specter?" he asked, standing and turning to see his doppleganger standing with his arms crossed.

Specter grinned, his sharp white fangs glinting in the late afternoon sunlight. "_**I have lots of problems,"**_ he remarked. "_**Be more specific."**_ The ghost released a chilling cackle.

"Ha, ha. Hilarious," Danny deadpanned. Needless to say, he was not amused by Specter's twisted sense of humor.

Specter laughed again and snapped his fingers. "_**You're too much fun,"**_ he said. _**"It's a shame I have to finish you."**_

Danny's eyes widened. Then _he_ began to laugh. "You? Hardly. May I remind you I've kicked your butt _twice_ today already?"

Specter just laughed, the toothy grin growing larger.

Danny grimaced and transformed into his ghost half, once again relieved when his headache stopped hurting so intensely. It helped him think much more clearly. Now it was Danny's turn to smirk. "Honestly, do you know how many guys have said that to me before? There's Skulker,-"

Specter suddenly appeared right in front of Danny's face, cutting off whoever else the ghost-boy was about to list and causing him to yelp. "_**I don't want to finish you in that manner..."**_ the double whispered mysteriously. He barked out a squeaky laugh.

Danny coughed and backed away from Specter's face. He fanned the air in front of his nose with his hand. "Oh! Dude, you've got worse breath than Dash! Is the word 'mouthwash' even in your vocabulary?"

Specter didn't seem fazed by Danny's insult. Instead, he smiled wickedly and stared into Danny's eyes. Danny gasped as the fear once again gripped his heart like a cold, clawed hand. He trembled as he slowly sank to the ground from his floating position. "Why are... what are you...?

The doppleganging ghost laughed maniacally and tackled Danny. The two phased through the floor, Danny shouting at the top of his lungs. The two ghosts phased through the ground and under the earth. Then, Specter yanked Danny upward with a jolt and tossed the intangible halfa up into the Fentons' yard. He became tangible again and landed on his back. "YOW!" he exclaimed, a shock of pain radiating through his skull. The teen sat up. "At this rate, I'll end up with a permanent headache," he said to himself.

Looking around, Danny realized that Specter was not with him. He rose to his feet and rubbed his chin in suspicion. "He couldn't have gone far..."

He saw his ghost sense too late. All of a sudden, he was knocked off his feet. He fell face-first on the grassy floor. When he tried to get up, he found he couldn't. Specter was holding him down from above. "_**Hold still! I want to finish the job I started."**_

Danny gasped as he began to languish in his struggle to break the grasp. His energy was leaving him quickly, and he was fading fast. Seconds before the blackness overtook him, he thought, _"Am I dying?"_

Groggy eyes opened to a dark room. Gradually, his sense of feeling returned to him, and his vision began to clear up. He felt chilled to the bone. Danny shuddered and tried to rub his arms, but found them to be restrained. "Huh?" His confused thoughts finally meshed together as realization of what was going on settled in. He was in a lab, restrained by some ecto-restraint... the same restraints, in fact, that Vlad had used to destabilize Dani!

Two sickly green eyes appeared in the shadows of Vlad's darkened lab. The doppleganging ghost stepped out of the shadows as his laughter began.

Danny snorted. "Seriously, dude? All you ever do is laugh."

Specter grabbed his middle and laughed all the harder.

"Seriously. Why did you bring me here? And why am I restrained?" His eyes widened. "A-HA! I knew it! You really _are_ one of Vlad's clones!"

Specter's laughter stopped abruptly. _**"Clone? Vlad? You're kidding me."**_ He smirked and gave Danny a chilling look. "_**Kidding is one of the things I do best."**_ Danny watched as the ghost walked over to the lever attatched to the wall. Specter's eyes glowed yellow-green as the halfa's fear began to grow. _**"Causing pain and fear is another."**_

Specter pulled the lever. Terrible pain shook Danny's body, and he began to shout.

Specter cackled madly at Danny's pain... that is, until _his_ whole body began to hurt. His skin started to shrivel around his hands and face as the color drained from his skin. _**"No, no, no! Not yet! I like this form too much!"**_ The ghost quickly pulled the lever back up again, then retreated to the shadows, staring at one of his hands. The fleshy tone was returning to his face quickly, but his skin was still shriveled around his now smaller body.

Danny lifted his head and looked at Specter, who quickly covered his face except for one eye. The doppleganger hissed and shot Danny a hateful glare before taking off through the ceiling.

Danny grunted and broke free of the cuffs that held him back. His fear was gone now, and his strength had returned in full. "Wait up!" He shouted, taking off after his double. Something had seemed strange about Specter in the moment he had hissed and flown away. He looked a bit smaller somehow... and the way his hands looked. Though it was dark, Danny could tell that they looked different. Familiar, even. Now floating in the main room of Vlad's mansion, Danny scouted the room for Specter. He was nowhere to be found, but then again, he always appeared. He always attacked from behind.

The blue mist flew out of Danny's mouth. Ready with his move, the halfa spun around and struck out with his fist. He hit something, and hit it hard- except whatever is was was invisible. Specter's figure briefly flickered into view before disappearing. Danny spun back around and saw Specter's hand just in time for it to grab his face.

_**"I'm getting very angry with you now,"**_ the doppleganger growled. _**"Stay weak! Or die, one or the other!"**_ The hand shoved Danny down with incredible force- that or it seemed strong due to a sudden drain of power on Danny's part.

The ghost-boy caught himself in the air and looked back up at his double. Specter was taking deep breaths, seemingly recovering from something that hurt him. Danny floated up and smiled devilishly. "Don't tell me you're so weak that one little _punch_ made you mad at me," he taunted.

Specter snarled and threw an ecto-beam at Danny, whereas he would have laughed it off before. Something had obviously made him very, very angry- or scared, one or the other. Danny dodged the beam, thoughts and theories running through his head. If Specter wasn't a clone or a daydream, then what was he? He must be some sort of shapeshifting ghost. An insane, psycho, sadistic shapeshifting ghost.

Specter hissed and took off again, tail streaming behind him. Danny followed behind him. Whatever Specter was, he was a threat to Amity Park. And Danny Phantom was growing close to eliminating this threat.

**Finished chapter 6! It was originally going to be shorter, but I extended it. Danny is starting to figure out what Specter is! Or is he? . This could all just be a nightmare. But then, where did Danny's headache come from? And why is Specter uninjured by the fight in the last chapter? Weird stuff, I tell ya.**

**Please review! I'm getting right on chapter 7, which may be the last chapter! Short story, I know.**


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